4 years and 77,000 mile Service

[bvddobb]

One could argue so is the air con?

The coolant fluid degrades over time.

 

[WelshGas]

One could argue so is the air con?

I beg to differ I’m afraid. It needs regular lubrication which is carried in the Refrigerant used. Also the system is disinfected which can be important for passengers health, especially if the system/vehicle is not used regularly.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19379540

 

[gvick]

Hi Welsh Gas that’s impressive mileage and similar to my mileage that I will be doing in my Cali as my daily driver .
What’s your experience been driving the Cali that much and what if any problems have you encountered?
Thanks

 

[WelshGas]

Hi Welsh Gas that’s impressive mileage and similar to my mileage that I will be doing in my Cali as my daily driver .
What’s your experience been driving the Cali that much and what if any problems have you encountered?
Thanks

I use it virtually everyday, although retired. Park anywhere that has a minimum height of 2m or more.
Parking in car parks I tend to park with NS next to a Vehicles NS so the vehicles passenger cannot get in without moving their vehicle. Avoids car park dings.
Problems, none, just an annual service , normally every 20,000 miles or just under.
I run All Season tyres once the original had worn down.
If you have a spare wheel then either chain the spare or fit a vehicle Spare Safe - See Forum Shop.
Depending how long your commute is try to get some long trips in to avoid DPF problems.
If you have the Diesel Parking Heater then fire it up at least monthly for an hour or so.
Don’t forget to plug into the Mains for at least 12 hrs monthly to keep the Leisure Batteries in good condition.
And enjoy it as I do.

 

[GSX1300R]

All of this of course depends on if you are mechanically minded and can turn your hand to some of the work yourself. For someone with a reasonable mechanical knowledge and a decent set of tools changing brake discs and pads is not rocket science. And of coarse you don’t have to buy Genuine VW branded parts. Aftermarket parts are available at under half the price. And I don’t mean rubbish you can get EBC discs and pads which is probably the ones VW use anyway. But like I say if you don’t have the skill, knowledge and tools go to a VW main dealer.

 

[Jonathan Duke]

Thanks for sharing @WelshGas

I’ve 44.000 up after two years, so good to know what potentially lies ahead.

 

[WelshGas]

All of this of course depends on if you are mechanically minded and can turn your hand to some of the work yourself. For someone with a reasonable mechanical knowledge and a decent set of tools changing brake discs and pads is not rocket science. And of coarse you don’t have to buy Genuine VW branded parts. Aftermarket parts are available at under half the price. And I don’t mean rubbish you can get EBC discs and pads which is probably the ones VW use anyway. But like I say if you don’t have the skill, knowledge and tools go to a VW main dealer.

But you do miss out on the 2 yr warranty VW give for the parts and fitting if you don't use a Dealership. Maybe not something to worry about with some simple service items but Cambelt etc: I would use a Dealership for my peace of mind.

 

[gvick]

I use it virtually everyday, although retired. Park anywhere that has a minimum height of 2m or more.
Parking in car parks I tend to park with NS next to a Vehicles NS so the vehicles passenger cannot get in without moving their vehicle. Avoids car park dings.
Problems, none, just an annual service , normally every 20,000 miles or just under.
I run All Season tyres once the original had worn down.
If you have a spare wheel then either chain the spare or fit a vehicle Spare Safe - See Forum Shop.
Depending how long your commute is try to get some long trips in to avoid DPF problems.
If you have the Diesel Parking Heater then fire it up at least monthly for an hour or so.
Don’t forget to plug into the Mains for at least 12 hrs monthly to keep the Leisure Batteries in good condition.
And enjoy it as I do.

Thank you some good advice

 

[Legin]

All of this of course depends on if you are mechanically minded and can turn your hand to some of the work yourself. For someone with a reasonable mechanical knowledge and a decent set of tools changing brake discs and pads is not rocket science. And of coarse you don’t have to buy Genuine VW branded parts. Aftermarket parts are available at under half the price. And I don’t mean rubbish you can get EBC discs and pads which is probably the ones VW use anyway. But like I say if you don’t have the skill, knowledge and tools go to a VW main dealer.

EBC pads are not oem btw and the petrol heads on here like me will confirm they are pretty poor performing pads, the discs are ok. I do agree however there are some good aftermarket pads and discs available for good prices.

 

[Legin]

The coolant fluid degrades over time.

Its doesnt degrade it leaks out through the flexible pipe walls. Unless it has fully lost pressure and drawn air then its normal to top it up with R134a.

The problems come if air gets in which brings with it water which saturates the receiver dryer and the refrigerant becomes highly corrosive.

 

[cpjb@btinternet.com]

WG - good feedback especially on tyre choice.

On a slightly different tack I see your comment on possible FWD wheel spin, which I have seen mentioned many times on this forum. Interestingly, in my 6+ years of Cali (180 FWD) ownership, I can't remember spinning the front wheels a single time?

 

[WelshGas]

WG - good feedback especially on tyre choice.

On a slightly different tack I see your comment on possible FWD wheel spin, which I have seen mentioned many times on this forum. Interestingly, in my 6+ years of Cali (180 FWD) ownership, I can't remember spinning the front wheels a single time?

Others have posted about. I managed it in the T6 LWB Panel van they gave me and that was a 102 Manual.
I don’t get it on my 4Motion, even when I had the original summer tyres on that it came with.
Also there have been a few posts where owners with FWD have mentioned requiring front tyres due to wear while the rear tyres still have significant tread. A good indication that there has been front wheel spin. On my 4Motion tyre wear front to rear is almost equal.

 

[GSX1300R]

EBC pads are not oem btw and the petrol heads on here like me will confirm they are pretty poor performing pads, the discs are ok. I do agree however there are some good aftermarket pads and discs available for good prices.

There are many different types of EBC pads. But you can get Brembo replacements at Half the cost of OEM.

 

[Legin]

There are many different types of EBC pads. But you can get Brembo replacements at Half the cost of OEM.

I know I have tried most of them. Cheap for a reason.

 

[GSX1300R]

Wow never heard that Brembo pads were cheap for a reason. They are the ONLY pads that are actually made in Europe and not China. The reason I say this is because we have been Manufacturing motorcycle brake discs for the past 11 years and I know which factory most of the different components come from. Brembo are the only ones Guaranteed manufactured in western Europe. Everybody else have them made to their spec in Other countries. VW are not going to pay top price for components made in Germany. VW has 11 manufacturing plants in China so wouldn’t you think they would take advantage of that situation.

 

[Legin]

Didn’t read it properly sorry, have re read. Brembo are of course the real deal. It’s ebc that aren’t great imo.

 

[GSX1300R]

Yes I also agree that (some) EBC pads are not so good. We wouldn’t recommend them to our customers for their HH sintered pads. Just too many problems. But we have tried and tested nearly every Motorcycle pad you can buy and it’s not only the most expensive that are the best. Profit margins on brake pads is huge and the cost to produce a brake pad varies very little from Manufacturer to Manufacturer. It’s the compound that is used that makes a small difference to the end costs. If you only knew how much it costs to Manufacture your £100 pads you would be shocked. But saying all this makes no difference if you can’t do the job yourself. You are totally reliant on the main dealer and between £100-£125 + vat per hour. But in our van centre includes as many cups of coffee as you like.

 

[WelshGas]

With a wear rate of 90% rear and 70% front after 77k miles I stayed with VW.

 

[Eber123]

Good afternoon,

I am not good with repairs (DIY), never the less I try now and then.

But there was always a few things I stayed well away from (even from motorbike times a BMW R80 GS, good old times ) 1.) steering, 2.) brakes 3.) tyres.

In all these years I never touch them, repair wise, and left the vehicle with the manufacturers dealer (BMW, Ford, Renault, Toytoa ... VW).

I believe repairs / service on these parts should be done by trained professionals (ok, I assume that they are well trained).

My van is FWD. Even though I try to drive "relaxed" sometimes it is necessary to pull out of a side road a wee bit quicker. That can be tricky, because the front wheels even on a 150 PS California spin very, very quickly (try roads, original summer tyres). I hope changing to 4season tyres this might improve a bit (better grip?).

Regards,
Eberhard

 

[GSX1300R]

But of coarse I agree that’s why in our country we still have the choice if you want to repair things yourself you are free to do so. If the motor repair industry goes the same way as the building industry in a few years we maybe won’t have the choice but to take it in to the main dealer and spend Many many hundreds of £ every time something goes wrong. At the moment you are free to choose.
Even factory trained technicians get it wrong sometimes as I’ve found out at my cost.

 

[Eber123]

But of coarse I agree that’s why in our country we still have the choice if you want to repair things yourself you are free to do so. If the motor repair industry goes the same way as the building industry in a few years we maybe won’t have the choice but to take it in to the main dealer and spend Many many hundreds of £ every time something goes wrong. At the moment you are free to choose.
Even factory trained technicians get it wrong sometimes as I’ve found out at my cost.

Good afternoon,

Yes, I agree that mechanics in dealers repair shops make mistakes. But if I have an accident because of faulty breaks and something bad happens, if I did it myself I will never forgive me. Nobody can accuse me of neglect if I give the van to an official dealer to get the breaks repaired. If they mad the mistake, still the accident might happen, but it is their responsibility, conscience and insurance.

Regards,
Eberhard

 

[westfalia]

But if I have an accident because of faulty breaks and something bad happens, if I did it myself I will never forgive me.

You could practice on someone else´s car first before you do
your own Eberhard.

 

[Legin]

Good afternoon,

Yes, I agree that mechanics in dealers repair shops make mistakes. But if I have an accident because of faulty breaks and something bad happens, if I did it myself I will never forgive me. Nobody can accuse me of neglect if I give the van to an official dealer to get the breaks repaired. If they mad the mistake, still the accident might happen, but it is their responsibility, conscience and insurance.

Regards,
Eberhard

If you dont feel competent then thats a bonafide position to take.

Once upon a time my wife had an x1/9 in mint condition maintained by an enthusiast we bought it from. However it turns out he didnt know how to tighten a bolt as I found subsequently to the incident.

One day the rear caliper bolt dropped out and the caliper smashed through the rim internally locking one wheel and instantly depressuring at 70mph bending the rear strut like a banana. Fortunately the following waggon swerved and didnt hit said car so my wife is still with me.

I always do my own brakes as I take the view that if its wrong only have myself to blame and im very meticulous. I service my car before it goes to the dealer with oem parts for things like brakes and tyres etc. Once out of warranty its normally diy.

So as ever its horses for courses. Its about knowing who you can trust whether dealer or diy.

 

[GSX1300R]

Have you ever tried to get a garage to admit that work they did on your vehicle caused a failure. That would be like having a negotiation with Donald Trump.
I have an extreamy good set of tools and tightening bolts with a torque wrench is not really rocket science. When I did my apprenticeship we had it drummed into us check 3 times cut once.

 

[Eber123]

You could practice on someone else´s car first before you do
your own Eberhard.

Good evening,

Well, do you volunteer your van?

Regards,
Eberhard